Cow-nosed ray vs Green Sea Turtle

Rhinoptera bonasus compared with Chelonia mydas

Key Differences

• Cow-nosed ray is Vulnerable while Green Sea Turtle is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cow-nosed ray	Green Sea Turtle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Myliobatidae	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Rhinoptera	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Rhinoptera bonasus	Chelonia mydas

Evolutionary Relationship

Cow-nosed ray and Green Sea Turtle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Cow-nosed ray

VU — Vulnerable

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cow-nosed ray	Green Sea Turtle
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	80 years
Average Length	—	1.2 m
Average Weight	—	200.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cow-nosed ray

Habitat

Native to South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Venezuela. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Green Sea Turtle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Mexico. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Green Sea Turtle

The green sea turtle is one of the largest sea turtles. They are named for the green color of their cartilage and fat, not their shells.